Boston EMS Badges Class 2021-1 at First In-Person Graduation Since 2019

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston EMS holds first in-person graduation since 2019, badging Academy Class 2021-1 at Faneuil Hall. Chief James Hooley told the new EMTs that during three months of field training the class had collectively responded to more than 2,300 incidents, including 186 cardiac calls and 205 behavioral health emergencies, calling them "the right people at the right time" as national EMT recruitment declines. Mayor Kim Janey, administering the oath of office at her first EMS graduation as mayor, credited the department's joint work with the Boston Housing Authority for helping push Boston's COVID vaccination rate to nearly 70 percent with at least one dose. Interim Boston Public Health Commission Executive Director Rita Nieves, announcing her retirement effective September 10, told the class that EMS's culture of internal mutual support was something they would quickly come to rely on. EMT Eldar Payhill, chosen by the class as its speaker, described training through split morning and evening shifts under full PPE — "every exam, every lift, every shoulder to cry on, we were there for each other" — before the class was formally logged onto field operations via a live radio exchange with Boston EMS dispatch.